File Permissions - Snow Leopard

[KillersKiss]

After getting a replacement Imac and restoring all my files, applications, etc.. from a Time Machine backup, I went to run a game I have which attempted to install a patch, but the patch would not apply, why, file permissions I'm sure. It looks like when Time Machine restored my computer it also restored my previous user account. I had to login as the restored user account to apply the patch. Now this brings up some questions.

• My new user account is an admin, why wouldn't it be able to apply the patch
• I logged into my old account to give my new account read/write permission on the game folder, but still coudln't apply the patch? Do I have to be the owner?
• Any good links about file permissions in Snow Leopard. I'm thinking I may have to re-install these apps to fix the permissions, or do you have suggestions how to fix this situation.

 

[calderone]

The problem is that the apps you have installed are owned by the old user account. By default the group and other can only read.

Adding the new account to the folder only gives read and write access to the folder, you would need to apply it to all children. You do this in Finder > Get Info > Add the new user > Click the Gear and select "Apply to enclosed items."


You don't need to reinstall the apps, you just need to change ownership, this could be done with a chown or chmod (giving read and write to the admin group).

As far as a good reference: http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/leopard-permissions

It hasn't been updated for Snow Leopard, but if you buy it now you receive an upgrade when the 10.6 version is released. Things are mostly the same, but click the blog link to read about some of the differences between 10.5 and 10.6.

 

[KillersKiss]

Why as an admin do I not have permissions already?

Apply to all children is greyed out?

 

[calderone]

Why as an admin do I not have permissions already?

Apply to all children is greyed out?

Just because you are an admin doesn't mean you get access to do everything.

You have permission to run the application and view it, but you don't have permission to change it because you are not the owner and the admin group does not have write access. This is because your current user account did put not the application there, the old one did.

If it is grayed out you need to go to Terminal and handle it with chown or chmod with a -R (for recursive).

 

[KillersKiss]

Just because you are an admin doesn't mean you get access to do everything.

Well it would make a lot of sense if it did. Too many strange scenarios could occur with a result of this setup.

I changed ownership using my older user account to my new account. I saw the option for that in the Get Info screen for the folder. When looking for the folder ownership to make sure the owner really had moved to my new account I couldn't find where it is listed. I looked in the Get Info screen for the folder thinking it would be there.

Another question I found a little strange about Sharing and Permissions in Get Info. The two user accounts, well just say the old one is named Frank, and the new one is named Jack. In the Get Info window, it lists zfrank as the owner which is the part of my email address before the @, but zfank is not listed as a user ????